Pathways Attendance and Academic Progress Policy

Introduction

The National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2007 (the National Code) prescribes minimum attendance and progress review requirements for international students on student visas. Swinburne is obliged by law to report breaches of attendance and academic progress requirements to government agencies including the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), which may lead to cancellation of a student’s visa.

Student Contact Details and Official Swinburne Email

It is a students’ responsibility to keep their contact details up-to-date. It is a condition of enrolment at Swinburne that students accept responsibility for checking their official Swinburne email address on a weekly basis at a minimum, but on a daily basis during critical academic periods – such as re-enrolment and progress review – to ensure they receive important correspondence.

Attendance

Satisfactory Attendance

To achieve satisfactory attendance a student must attend at least 80% of the scheduled contact hours in a study period unless the following exception applies:

Students will be considered to have achieved satisfactory attendance if they attend at least 70% of the scheduled contact hours in a study period if they are maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

Study Period

In Foundation Studies and UniLink Diploma programs, a study period is a College Teaching Period.

Recording and Calculation of Attendance

If a student is not in class they will be marked absent unless they are attending another College activity which has been pre-approved in writing. If they are absent for reasons of ill health, they will be marked absent even if they have a medical certificate.

Attendance Monitoring and Warnings

Attendance will be monitored regularly and students will be warned if they are in danger of falling below the 80% attendance requirement in a study period. Students will be notified via their official Swinburne email address. At the discretion of Swinburne, there may also be additional contact by other means such as verbal warning, letter, telephone, and SMS.

Reporting of Students to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC)

Where a student in Foundation Studies or UniLink can no longer achieve:

80% projected attendance in a study period and they are not maintaining satisfactory academic progress; or

70% projected attendance in a study period

they will be sent an email via their official Swinburne email address notifying them that Swinburne intends to report them for not achieving satisfactory attendance. The email will notify the student that they are able to appeal to the Director, Swinburne College or nominee within 20 working days.

Five Consecutive Days Absence

Students who are absent for more than five consecutive days will be contacted and counselled. Means of contact can be via their official Swinburne email, a telephone call, SMS, or letter. If students cannot be contacted it may result in the cancellation of their enrolment and/or notification to DIAC, which may affect the student’s visa.

Academic Progress

Satisfactory Course Progress

To achieve satisfactory course progress a student must complete Foundation Studies or their UniLink Diploma within three teaching periods (excluding any approved leave) unless they can demonstrate to the satisfaction of Swinburne that they have compassionate or compelling circumstances that would indicate that a further enrolment should be allowed.

Students whose progress is deemed to be unsatisfactory will not be permitted to continue with their Foundation Studies or UniLink Diploma and will not be able to reapply for the program for a period of two years.

Intervention Strategy

Where a student has failed 50% or more of the units they attempted in a teaching period they will be sent an email to their official Swinburne email address requiring that they contact their Program Leader to discuss strategies to help them achieve satisfactory course progress. Strategies may include additional study suggestions and referral to other support services.

Reporting of Students to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC)

Where a student in Foundation Studies or a UniLink Diploma can no longer achieve satisfactory course progress they will be sent an email via their official Swinburne email address notifying them that Swinburne intends to report them for not achieving satisfactory course progress. The email will notify the student that they are able to appeal to the Director, Swinburne College or nominee within 20 working days.

Appeals in Relation to Attendance and Unsatisfactory Academic Progress

Appeals must be in writing and addressed to the Director, Swinburne College. A review of a student’s appeal will commence within 10 working days of the written appeal being lodged. The student may be accompanied by a support person (who is not a legal practitioner) at any relevant meetings. The student will be given a written statement of the outcome of their appeal, including reasons for the outcome.

Where a student remains dissatisfied with a decision on appeal, the student may appeal to the Victorian Ombudsman at minimal or no cost in accordance with the National Code. The Ombudsman is generally a last resort. If a student has not followed the steps laid down in the relevant Swinburne procedures, the Ombudsman may ask them to do so before accepting their appeal.

Where a student chooses not to access the appeal processes within the 20 working day period, withdraws from the process, or the process is completed and supports the original decision, Swinburne will notify DIAC that the student has not achieved satisfactory attendance/academic progress.

The student’s enrolment will be maintained throughout the internal and (if known) any external appeals process, provided the student fulfils all conditions for a valid enrolment, including payment of all fees, and compliance with all applicable standards of conduct, statutes, regulations, policies and procedures.